Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections
Ernest Bouldin Harper Papers
UA.17.22
Table of Contents
Summary Information
- Repository
- Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections
- Creator -
- Chalkley, Lyssa.
- Creator - Donor
- Harper, Ernest Bouldin
- Creator
- Michigan. State Emergency Welfare Relief Commission.
- Title
- Ernest Bouldin Harper papers
- ID
- UA.17.22
- Date [inclusive]
- 1936-1961
- Extent
- 2.0 Cubic feet
- Language
- English
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: "Item title, Collection title, Collection Identifier, Michigan State University Archives & Historical Collections, East Lansing, Michigan."
Biographical Note
Ernest Bouldin Harper was born to Dr. Charles E. and Marie Louise Bouldin Harper in Danville, Virginia on December 6, 1883. He married the former Lyssa Chalkley and had two children. He received his B.A. and M.A. at the University of Virginia, and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1922. He also received his certificate from the London School of Economics, and later studied at the New York School of Social Work. Prior to working at Michigan State, Harper was a representative of the Michigan Emergency Welfare Relief Administration (1935-1936), associate professor of Sociology and Social Work at Vanderbilt University (1934-1935), and an administrator at Kalamazoo College (1923-1924). He also served as a second lieutenant in World War One. He came to Michigan State College (now Michigan State University) in 1935 as a lecturer in Social Work, becoming head of the Department of Sociology in 1936. He served in this post until 1944, when he became the head of the Social Work Department (the name was changed to the School of Social Work in 1956). Harper's major contributions to the university, aside from his teaching and administrative posts, include the reorganization of graduate programs in Social Work; the co-authorship of three books: American Charities and Social Work, Social Organization and Disorganization, and Readings in Community Organization for Social Welfare; and chairing of numerous campus committees which improved faculty and course programs. He also wrote numerous published articles.
Scope and Contents note
The Ernest B. Harper papers document Harper's professional contributions to the field of social work and social work education, particularly through his membership in the National Council on Social Work Education (NCSWE), the American Association of Schools of Social Work (AASSW), and the Association for the Study of Community Organization (ASCO). The first series of related materials correspond to Harper's participation in AASSW (1936-1952). Included are his personal correspondence with the social work community and its various officials. During this period, Harper helped establish classes to train future social workers. Many of his letters contain his inquiries about various curricula and programs. These files also include agendas of AASSW meetings; problems in education (i.e. improvement of graduate programs, less ambiguous undergraduate programs), as well as business information relating to the operation of the association (i.e. operating costs, amended by-laws, etc.). The second series of related materials document Harper's participation in ASCO (1945-1955), first as a standing member, and later as Board Member and President. This organization studied community organization in the area of social welfare. Its projects included analyzing various community concerns and making suggestion for improvement. The ASCO records include copies of Board meeting itineraries, issues addressed, progress reports on past studies, and workshops and discussion group material. The third series of materials outline Harper's involvement with NCSWE (1946-1951). This organization focused on the educational aspect of social work. However, they concentrated more on particular studies rather than on education. Included are meeting outlines, correspondence regarding grants, appointment of officials and other operations material, study committee records, a summary of the Hollis-Taylor Report (an in-depth study of social work), committee reaction, and newsletters and publications related to this subject. The final series includes records on the first eight Invitational Conferences on Undergraduate Education; some of Harper's personal papers, including his diary; and a select group of some of his publications between 1934 and 1948.
Administrative Information
Publication Information
Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections June 1982
Conrad Hall888 Wilson Road, Room 101
East Lansing , MI, 48824
517-355-2330
archives@msu.edu
Revision Description
M. Brown November 1987; S. Bjork-June 1989; Revised August 2003 August 2003
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Legal Status note
Copyright: Michigan State University. Property Rights: Michigan State University.
Conditions Governing Use
Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.
Controlled Access Headings
Corporate Name(s)
- American Association of Social Workers.
- Association for the Study of Community Organization.
- Conference on Undergraduate Education for Social Work.
- Council on Social Work Education.
Genre(s)
- Annual reports
- By-laws
- Diaries
- Letters (correspondence)
- Minutes (Records)
- Newsletters
- Publications
- Reports
Subject(s)
- Social work education
- Sociology -- Study and teaching
Collection Inventory
|
American Association of Schools of Social Work (AASSW) |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
General Correspondence 1936-1948 |
1014 | 1 | ||
|
Board of Directors Meetings 1949 |
1014 | 2 | ||
|
Constitution and By-Laws 1939-1952 |
1014 | 3 | ||
|
Financial Reports 1951-1952 |
1014 | 4 | ||
|
Annual Reports 1946-1947 |
1014 | 5 | ||
|
Membership (Officers, Board of Directors, Committees) 1952, undated |
1014 | 6 | ||
|
Membership (Institutions) 1944-1952 |
1014 | 7 | ||
|
Committees, General Files 1945 |
1014 | 8 | ||
|
Continuation Committee on Washington Conference 1944 |
1014 | 9 | ||
|
Faculty and Professional Advisory Committee 1944 |
1014 | 10 | ||
|
Committee on Pre-Social Work Education 1944 |
1014 | 11 | ||
|
Committee on Pre-Professional Social Work 1944-1949 |
1014 | 12 | ||
|
Committee on Education for Social Workers 1945-1946 |
1014 | 13 | ||
|
Committee on State Universities and Membership Requirements 1938 |
1014 | 14 | ||
|
Annual Meetings 1945-1952 |
1014 | 15 | ||
|
Workshops 1949-1950 |
1014 | 16 | ||
|
Statistical Reports on Social Work Education 1943-1950 |
1014 | 17 | ||
|
Newsletter 1947-1948 |
1014 | 18 | ||
|
Newsletter to Directors 1945-1949 |
1014 | 19 | ||
|
Lists of AASSW Publications undated |
1014 | 20 | ||
|
American Association of Social Work |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Conference on the Present & Future of Social Work 1949 |
1014 | 21 | ||
|
Association for the Study of Community Organization (ASCO) |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Correspondence, Memos 1946-1956 |
1014 | 22 | ||
|
By-Laws 1954 |
1014 | 23 | ||
|
History of ASCO 1949 |
1014 | 24 | ||
|
Board of Directors 1948 |
1014 | 25 | ||
|
Executive Committee 1946-1947 |
1014 | 26 | ||
|
Annual Meetings 1948-1955 |
1014 | 27 | ||
|
Financial Reports 1949-1954 |
1014 | 28 | ||
|
Committee on Publications 1950 |
1014 | 29 | ||
|
Progress Reports 1946-1948 |
1014 | 30 | ||
|
Committee on Book of Readings 1946-1947 |
1014 | 31 | ||
|
Plan for a Single New Organization of Social Workers 1952-1953 |
1014 | 32 | ||
|
Workshops 1953 |
1014 | 33 | ||
|
Membership 1951-1953 |
1014 | 34 | ||
|
Michigan ASCO Incorporation undated |
1014 | 35 | ||
|
Local Discussion Groups 1949-1952 |
1014 | 36 | ||
|
Community Organization Discussion Group Detroit 1943-1952 |
1014 | 37 | ||
|
Michigan Committee for the Study of Community Organization 1940-1943 |
1014 | 38 | ||
|
ASCO Newsletter April 1947 |
1014 | 39 | ||
|
Checklist 1948-1952 |
1014 | 40 | ||
|
Community Organization 1947 |
1014 | 41 | ||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Miscellaneous 1946-1949 |
1014 | 42 | ||
|
National Council on Social Work Education (NCSWE) |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Correspondence 1946 |
1015 | 1 | ||
|
Meetings |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
August 1946 |
1015 | 2 | ||
|
January 1947 |
1015 | 3 | ||
|
January 1948 |
1015 | 4 | ||
|
April 1948 |
1015 | 5 | ||
|
October 1948 |
1015 | 6 | ||
|
March 1949 |
1015 | 7 | ||
|
October 1949 |
1015 | 8 | ||
|
[no folder] |
1015 | 9 | ||
|
March 1950 |
1015 | 10 | ||
|
December 1950 |
1015 | 11 | ||
|
April 1951 |
1015 | 12 | ||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Planning Committee for Constitutional Convention 1951 |
1015 | 13 | ||
|
Constitutional Convention January 1952 |
1015 | 14 | ||
|
Study Committee Chronology 1946-1952 |
1015 | 15 | ||
|
Study Committee |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
1946-1947 |
1015 | 16 | ||
|
1948 |
1015 | 17-18 | ||
|
1949 |
1015 | 19 | ||
|
1950 |
1015 | 20 | ||
|
1951-1952 |
1015 | 21 | ||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Hollis-Taylor Study Committee Criticisms 1949-1951 |
1015 | 22 | ||
|
Hollis-Taylor Report. Press Releases, Reviews 1951-1952 |
1015 | 23 | ||
|
Hollis-Taylor Report. Panel Discussions 1951 |
1015 | 24 | ||
|
Hollis-Taylor Report. Summary 1952 |
1015 | 25 | ||
|
Lay Advisory Committee 1948-1949 |
1015 | 26 | ||
|
Special Committee on Reorganization 1949-1950 |
1015 | 27 | ||
|
Committee on Accreditation 1951 |
1015 | 28 | ||
|
Bulletins 1948-1949 |
1015 | 29 | ||
|
Miscellaneous NCSWE publications |
1015 | 30 | ||
|
Conferences on Undergraduate Education for Social Work (CUESW) |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
First Invitational Conference May 1953 |
1015 | 31 | ||
|
Second Invitational Conference October 1954 |
1015 | 32 | ||
|
Third Invitational Conference March 1955 |
1015 | 33 | ||
|
Fourth Invitational Conference October 1955 |
1015 | 34 | ||
|
Fifth Invitational Conference March 1956 |
1015 | 35 | ||
|
Sixth Invitational Conference October 1956 |
1015 | 36 | ||
|
Seventh Invitational Conference- March 1957 |
1015 | 37 | ||
|
Eighth Invitational Conference October 1957 |
1015 | 38 | ||
|
Conference on Undergraduate Schools April 1949 |
1015 | 39 | ||
|
Council for Social Work Education 1955-1961 |
1015 | 40 | ||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Diary 1936-1944 |
1015 | 41 | ||
|
Publications 1936-1944 |
1015 | 42 | ||
|
Miscellaneous Papers |
1015 | 43 | ||